SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 9, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:MYGN) today announced it will present data showing the high prevalence and overlap between hereditary colon cancer and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in patients previously diagnosed with endometrial and ovarian cancer. Myriad is presenting this data and another hereditary cancer study at the 2013 National Society of Genetic Counselors annual meeting in Anaheim, California.

"Myriad is committed to advancing the scientific understanding of hereditary cancers and developing innovative diagnostic tests to benefit a broad range of cancer patients," said Richard J. Wenstrup, chief medical officer of Myriad. "Our data show there is both a high prevalence and overlap of hereditary cancer syndromes in patients with endometrial and ovarian cancers, which supports the use of myRisk Hereditary Cancer testing to accurately diagnose patients and select appropriate medical management."

This study assessed the prevalence of hereditary colon cancer and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in patients with both primary endometrial and ovarian cancer. Under current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines these patients would meet the medical criteria for both hereditary breast and ovarian cancer testing and hereditary colon cancer testing. Results showed that among 1,529 patients evaluated, 11.2 percent had a deleterious mutation with 73.3 percent of the mutations in hereditary colon cancer genes and 26.7 percent in hereditary breast cancer genes. Although the prevalence of hereditary colon cancer was higher than hereditary breast cancer in patients with endometrial and ovarian cancers, these patients showed a strong family history overlap between the two syndromes. The findings suggest these patients would be appropriate candidates for testing with a hereditary cancer panel to prevent a missed diagnosis of hereditary cancer.

This study evaluated the prevalence of deleterious mutations in patients with colorectal and endometrial cancer based on a decade of diagnosis. Data was obtained from 20,000 patients with colorectal cancer and/or endometrial cancer. The deleterious mutation rate was analysed based on the age of diagnoses. Colorectal cancer patients diagnosed in their 40s had an 11.5 percent mutation rate and patients diagnosed in their 50s saw a 10.9 percent mutation rate, while patients in their 60s experienced a still very high 8.3 percent mutation rate. Although hereditary colon cancer is associated with onset at an earlier age, these data show the importance of genetic testing for deleterious mutations in all patients, regardless of their age at diagnosis.

Additionally, Myriad scientists will participate in the following highlighted symposia:

Myriad Genetics is a leading molecular diagnostic company dedicated to making a difference in patients' lives through the discovery and commercialization of transformative tests to assess a person's risk of developing disease, guide treatment decisions and assess risk of disease progression and recurrence. Myriad's portfolio of molecular diagnostic tests is based on an understanding of the role genes play in human disease and was developed with a commitment to improving an individual's decision making process for monitoring and treating disease. Myriad is focused on strategic directives to introduce new products, including companion diagnostics, as well as expanding internationally. For more information on how Myriad is making a difference, please visit the Company's website at: www.myriad.com and our social media channels: Twitter and Facebook.

Myriad, the Myriad logo, BRACAnalysis™ and myRisk Hereditary Cancer™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Myriad Genetics, Inc. in the United States and foreign countries. MYGN-G

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the Company's anticipated presentation and participation at the 2013 National Society of Genetic Counselors annual meeting in Anaheim, California; the importance of Myriad myRisk Hereditary Cancer testing based on study results; the use of myRisk Hereditary Cancer testing to accurately diagnose patients and select appropriate medical management for patients with endometrial and ovarian cancers; and the Company's strategic directives under the caption "About Myriad Genetics". These "forward-looking statements" are management's present expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risk that sales and profit margins of our existing molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services may decline or will not continue to increase at historical rates; risks related to changes in the governmental or private insurers reimbursement levels for our tests; the risk that we may be unable to develop or achieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services in a timely manner, or at all; the risk that we may not successfully develop new markets for our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services, including our ability to successfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licenses to the technology underlying our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services tests and any future tests are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risks related to delays or other problems with operating our laboratory testing facilities; risks related to public concern over our genetic testing in general or our tests in particular; risks related to regulatory requirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries and changes in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcare payment systems; risks related to our ability to obtain new corporate collaborations or licenses and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if at all; risks related to our ability to successfully integrate and derive benefits from any technologies or businesses that we license or acquire; risks related to increased competition and the development of new competing tests and services; the risk that we or our licensors may be unable to protect or that third parties will infringe the proprietary technologies underlying our tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims or challenges to the validity of our patents; risks related to changes in intellectual property laws covering our molecular diagnostic tests and companion diagnostic services and patents or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries, such as the Supreme Court decision in the lawsuit brought against us by the Association for Molecular Pathology et al; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies and regulations in the United States and internationally; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Myriad undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.